Author: Mary Best Puplava

I am a woman, a sister, a wife, a mother of 3 sons, a Nana to 6, a friend to many and a kindred spirit to a few. But most importantly of all, I am the beloved child of a Gracious God.

It’s Okay to be YOU!

I’ve always loved music and enjoy singing along. In fact, in 1956 my mother received a call from my kindergarten teacher. With great anxiety my mother listened to Mrs. Clevenger: “Mrs. Best? In all my years as a teacher, I have never had a child like yours.” Mother (gasping) replies with, “What has she done?” The reply, ” Oh, no, Mrs. Best! I’ve never had a child with perfect pitch. She’s a wonder.” Whew, what a relief!

Fast forward to 1982…. I’m a mother of three sons aged 4, 3, and 9 mo. We’re on our way to Ryan’s preschool. The music is playing, I’m singing along, and I hear Ryan’s sweet voice, “Oh, Mommy, please don’t sing!” What?! So I stop singing. Next time we’re in the car, the music is playing, and I’m singing along. Again, “Oh, Mommy, please don’t sing!” So I stopped and began to whistle. From that day forward, I stopped singing when the children were in the car. But you can bet I whistled!

Here’s my point. When you have joy inside and it’s gotta get out, let it out. Sometimes there’s a scream too. I will NEVER forget my mother giving me this advice on raising three sons [forgive me if I offend you, but Mother was every bit a lady], “Sometimes, Mary, you just have to go outside and yell SH_T.” She was right. It helped a lot. 🙂

Everyone has a “song” in their heart. Whatever that unique life song is, sing it with gusto. There’s never going to be a sweeter sound than honesty — to yourself and to others around you. Who knows…maybe your song will be music to their ears.

Nana’s Nudge: Don’t suppress yourself to please others. You might go into hiding and you’ll never fully express the real you.
Nana’s Songs: Life Song |  I’ve Gotta Be Me | Sing Along | Sing A Song | Happy
Nana’s Prayer: Father, You’ve placed a unique song in each of us that is music to Your ears. Help us to sing it true and loud enough for the world around us to hear it. And Lord, help us to hear the joyful song You sing over us. (Zeph 3:17)

Restoring What Was Lost

Have you ever come across something from your past that produced a longing to revisit it again? I was putting away the towels in my linen closet and looked up on the shelf and saw that my mother’s highly-prized candelabras had turned from silver to  tarnished brass. The lurch in my breast caused me to bring them out to the patio along with gloves, polish, brush, sponge and finishing cloth. The whole process took two afternoons in the shade. I  enjoyed the gentle breeze, our Wellington tucked in his bed, and music to keep me company as I wiped, scrubbed, waited, buffed, washed and dried. All the while, the memories came flooding back…

The “back story” is perhaps more interesting. These candelabras graced my mother’s dining table ever since I was born. I regret that I never asked if they belonged to my grandparents or were a wedding gift. Mother changed the candles based on the season from white to red and along with a crystal bowl filled with flowers, they were the centerpiece of her elegance. To me, they meant home, very special family dinners, and holidays with my Nanas, Aunts, Uncles at the main table and siblings and cousins gathered at card-tables.

When my mother passed in 2004, the children had an opportunity to select items from her estate one by one until it was done. I selected the candelabras as one of my first choices. I wanted that piece of heritage on my dining table. When I received my selections, the first thing I did was to polish these precious memories. You can’t imagine my shock when I took the pieces apart and discovered that my father had carved his initials into the center candle holders. [You see, my father died suddenly when I had just turned 20 in 1970. He left my mother with 9 children from 21 to 6. Our lives were turned upside down that fateful day. What an amazing woman she was… but that’s another story for another day.] So, much to my delightful surprise, what I thought was an inheritance from my mother became an inheritance from my father as well.

The “in” look today is simple, clean, and (frankly to my mind) sterile — absent of history, lacking character, and pretty much looking like everyone else’s pristine home. I wanted to be in, so when we moved, I put away the old-fashioned and tried to transition to the new. And yet, something inside came alive when I saw those tarnished candelabras on the top shelf of the linen closet.

I finished the restoration of these heirlooms and placed them where they belong… on my dining table. Imagine my delight when some of my granddaughters visited yesterday just as I was drying them and I was able to tell them my story and Mother and Dad’s.

How will my grandchildren remember me? How will they know what their great grandmother treasured, if I don’t tell them her story and mine?

Nana’s Nudge:  Uncover your hidden treasures and share your heritage. Nana’s Songs:   We Gather Together | We are Family | My Best Days are Ahead of Me | Come to the Table
Nana’s Prayer:  Good Father, help me to treasure all You have given me throughout the years. Restore what has been lost. Revive what is missing in my life. Help me to pass on what is important to those I love.